Gimme ventilation! It has been very hot in Barcelona these past few days, and even in my home, where it’s usually cool, temperatures have risen considerably. It’s a time of the year when being able to ventilate one’s home is a blessing, and luckily for those of us in Ciutat Vella, most buildings were constructed to enable this. Even lobbies and stair wells have specific ventilation windows. I have gathered a selection for you, so you can see what I am referring to…

Twins – Passatge de la Pau

Ventilation windows are mostly found above the entrance of any given building. Often they are part of the arch that is the doorway, and protected from unwanted entry by often beautiful cast or wrought iron grilles.

Collecting dust – Carrer d’en Roig

They can also be a separate window, above the doorway(above), or insets within the door itself, like the initialled ones in the door below.

Initialled – Carrer Junta de Comerç

Made in 1886 – Carrer Parlament

But they all have one thing in common: they are open to the elements and allow ventilation year round – both when it’s hot and when it’s cold – which in Barcelona’s humid climate is a good thing.

Pointing the way – Carrer de la Leialtad

Some are simple, and some are more intricate, but all are beautiful in their own right. How do you cope with hot weather? Do you have air conditioning? Do you use a fan? I open all my windows and allow a drafty breeze into my home, and am in the process of installing some ceiling fans. It’s going to be another scorcher today, so I say: gimme ventilation! Have a great weekend, everyone!